IMPACT 0411: DO YOU CARE WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM?

Nicole Lim, 22, is the Content Strategist of Fresh off the Dot, a three-month communication campaign that encourages the support for local produce in Singapore. Helmed by a four-women team, the project is part of a final-year academic project for Nanyang Technological University, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, and a recipient of the “National Youth Council — Young ChangeMakers” grant. Nicole shares some values that she picked up on her journey, and some things that she has had to let go of.

As this was part of our final year project and an academic requirement, it was sometimes easy to get carried away with our own thoughts and agendas. But what’s important in every project is to remember the stakeholders involved – understanding that we weren’t doing this for ourselves, but rather, the farmers and consumers. That’s what I think made our efforts extra meaningful.

Burnouts were almost unavoidable during the eight months we were planning and executing the campaign. However, it was important to stay committed to what we were there for, to remain rooted to the cause and the people we had set out to help. This helped me to find meaning in my work and push on.

I can’t stress how important it is to have the drive to learn more and strive for the best in everything that you do. Luck is when an opportunity comes along and you are prepared for it. Take all opportunities you can get, and be prepared for even better ones in the future!

Being able to help some of the local farms and farmers through what we were doing was a real motivator for me throughout the project. However, as much as we would have liked to help everyone, we had to remind ourselves that we had our limits. Don’t feel guilty about rejecting a request if you don’t have the bandwidth for it. More often than not, the other party would likely be able to understand.

In today’s “always on” society, we’re expected to stay productive 24/7. However, constantly going at 110% for a project, on top of other life commitments such as academic work and side hustles, is just not realistic.

Having breaks can be refreshing for  the mind and gives you the opportunity to rest your eyes; even if it’s a short one. Personally, I like to play sports with my friends on a weekly basis.

Everything aside, always remember to find joy in your work. It’ll only be a fulfilling journey if you truly enjoy what you do. Don’t purely do it for others, think about yourself at times too! It’s all about finding that sweet balance.